Friday, April 3, 2009

Pressing On

Often times I feel silly writing about my life because it seems rather boring to me, at least right now. The most eventful thing that has happened this week is that our puppy Paisley went to the vet to have her spay and tack done so she has been out of commission for a few days. As of today Paisley is thankfully getting back to her old self which makes following the doctor's orders of restricted activity difficult to say the least. Oh well. I'll post pictures later this week if I get the chance because Paisley has quite a scar.

Spiritually things have been less consistent than I would like. I was blessed yet again by some true Christian fellowship. I had a wonderful conversation with a friend at church on Sunday that left me feeling so encouraged and refreshed. However once Sunday passed and I headed into another week I was yet again faced with the sin of pride. This time God specifically used my husband Jon to remind me of those areas of my life where pride is still firmly rooted and I am truly thankful for his honesty. There were a couple of rough days (especially on Wednesday) when I really struggled and I remember Jon telling me that I needed to spend time with the Lord. That constant reminder of my need for Christ every single day was incredibly precious. It is good to remember that I am not in any way capable of living a life pleasing to the Lord without relying on his abundant grace and mercy.

With spiritual growth seemingly moving at a snails pace it is good to have an area in my life where I can see more obvious results which is one reason why memorizing scripture has been such a blessing. I have finally memorized the eleven verses out of Philippians 2. If you couldn't already tell I have not really practiced the discipline of memorizing scripture for quite some time. As I finished up the section from Philippians on Monday morning I was elated. However the pride I felt after achieving a relatively small feat was tempered with the sad realization that it took me over 2 weeks to memorize a mere 11 verses. To break that down into even simpler and more humbling terms that equals out to memorizing less than a verse a day. Ouch! I do have to admit that it felt great to memorize a slighty larger portion of scripture. Being able to sit down and recite that passage made me hungry to try something a little more challenging. This is a discipline I would like to continue to cultivate in my life even after this time of lent ends and one that I would like to pass on to my children.

Memory Verse IV:
"I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever. Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever. Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom. One generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your mighty acts. They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty, and I will meditate on your wonderful works. They will tell of the power of your awesome works, and I will proclaim your great deeds. They will celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness. The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. The LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made. All you have made will praise you, O LORD; your saints will extol you. They will tell of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might, so that all men may know of your mighty acts and the glorious splendor of your kingdom. Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. The LORD is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made. The LORD upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time. You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing. The LORD is righteous in all his ways and loving toward all he has made. The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them. The LORD watches over all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy. My mouth will speak in praise of the LORD. Let every creature praise his holy name for ever and ever."
Psalm 145

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